Cotton duster



Jan. 12 1926.

, 19123 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Oct. 29

Jan. 12 1926.

O. P. HOBBS COTTON DUSTER Grimm Filed Oct. 29, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 anemia,

Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORAOE P. HOBBS, 0] WINDEB, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOB, BY DIRECT AID nan ASSIGN- MENTB, TO WARREN DE 508A, 01' ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

COTTON DUSTER.

Application filed October 29, 1923, Serial Io. 671,804. Renewed Iovember 21, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Omen P. Home, a citizen of the United States, residin at Winder, in the county of Barrow and tate of Geor ia, have invented a new and useful Cotton uster, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine designed primarily for dusting cotton plants with a poison such as calcium arsenate for the purpose of destroying boll weevils and other objectionable insects infesting plants.

Heretofore it has not been ossible to use dusting machines under all e imatic conditions. Calcium arsenate has an afinity for moisture which renders it difficult to handle in an ordinary dusting machine during damp weather. This is due primarily to the fact that the particles adhere and pack, when damp.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide means whereby the powdered contents of a hopper can be forcibly expelled laterally therefrom into an air current, this current serving to convey the delivered powder to hose from which the powder can be directed onto the plants.

A further object is to provide a novel form of ejecting mechanism which insures delivery of the poison into the air flue and will operate freely into the bulk of material contained in the hopper.

A further object is to provide means whereby moisture is kept from the air flue and fan used for setting up a current, thus making it possible to use the machine in rainy weather.

Another object is to provide means whereby the delivery of powder to the air flue can be controlled easily.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will ap ear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein'disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without ferred form 0 t e invention has been shown.

In said drawings Flgure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectlon through the air flue of a mechanism constituting the present invention, the hopper and regulating valve being shown in elevation, said figure being a section taken on line 1--1, Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in front elevation and partly 1n section of the hopper and air flue showing the mechanism constituting the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a hopper adapted to be mounted on a suitable portable frame not shown. Arranged upon one side of this hopper is a flue 2 having a forwardly extending upper portion 3 and a downwardly extending rear ortion 4. An air inlet 5 is provided in t e bottom of the forwardly extending portion 3 while the lower end of the downwardly extending portion 4 is attached to one side of a fan casing 6 so that air flowing downwardly from the flue will enter the central inlet orifice 7 in the side of the fan casing. The fan 8 in the casing can be driven in any suitable manner and said casing has a tangential outlet 9 to which one or .more flexible hose 10 can be connected.

Journaled in the walls of the hop r is a shaft 11 carrying suitable agitating lades 12. On one end of this shaft is fulcrumed a lever 13 extending through a slot 14 in the back wall of the, flue 2, there being a handle 15 at the outer end of this lever by means of which it can be manipulated read ily. A toothed segment 16 is provided for engagement by the lever so that said lever can be held in any position to which it may be moved. Extending from the fulcrumed end of the lever is a segmental plate 17 provided with a series of openings 18 disposed in an arc concentric with the shaft 11.. These openings are adapted to move into and out of register with corresponding openings 19 formed inthe contactin walls of the hopper and flue. Thus the p ate 17 acts as a cut off valve and by mani ulating lever 13 the openings 19 can be part y or entirely closed.

Secured to the inner face of the side wall of hopper 1 is an arcuate wear plate 20 having openings 21 registering at all times with the openings 19. Adjustably mounted on shaft 11 is a hub 22 having an annular flange 23, there being any suitable means, such as a set screw 26, for fastening the hub in any position to which it may be moved. Secured to this flange 2-3 are radial strips 24 the outer ends of which are turned toward the end wall of the hopper and twisted so that the edge 25 of the free end of each strip is disposed along a line radiating from the center of the shaft 11. The twisted portion of each strip constitutes a feeding blade 27 and, as shown articularly in Fig. 3, each blade is curved ackwardly from the direction in which it rotates. Consequently as each blade is brought into contact with the wear plate 20 during the rotation of shaft 11, the blade exerts a wiping action as well as a deflecting action with the result that those portions of the bulk material lying adjacent the openings 21 will be pressed outwardly through said openings and from the openings 18 and 19 into the flue 2. The weight of the contents of the hopper will be sufficient to prevent upward or lateral displacement of the bulk material away from the o enings 21 during the application of latera pressure to the material by the blades.

In 0 eration the fan 8 is rotated at a high speed y any suitable mechanism provided for that purpose so that a suction is set up through flue 2 from the inlet 5 to the outlet 7. At the same time shaft 11 is rotated and causes the bulk material to be ejected substantially in measured quantities through the outlet openings 21, 19 and 18. As the material enters the flue 2, it will be carried downwardly by the suction of air and will susequently be ejected through the outlet 7 and hose 10 by the fan. By manipulating lever 13 the outlets can be partly or entirely out off so as thus to regulate the amount of dust supplied to a given area of a field.

Importance is attached to the peculiar arrangement and shape of the blades 27. As a result thereof the bulk material will be ejected accurately and efficiently under all climatic conditions and there is no danger of the material packing against the wall of the hopper and distorting it, as would be the case should a feed worm or the like be used. As the blades become worn they can be ad'usted bodily toward the plate 20 and if sai plate becomes worn a new one can be substituted therefor.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a bulk holder having a side outlet and a suction flue in communication with the outlet, of a rotatable series of spaced strips adjacent the outlet, each of said strips havin a laterally extended twisted portion constitute a blade, each blade having a straight free edge radially disposed relative to its axis of rotation and having its front or advancing face curved to exert a wiping deflectin action toward the outlet of material in t e path of the blades.

2. The combination with a bulk holder having a lateral outlet, an air flue communicatingwith the outlet and having an air inlet at one end and an air outlet at its other end, and means for setting up a suction through the flue from the air inlet to the air outlet, 9. series of deflectin blades rotatably mounted within the bul holder and adjacent its outlet, each blade havin a straight free edge disposed radially re ative to its axis of rotation, the advancing face of each blade being curved for deflecting into the outlet material in the path of the blade.

3. The combination with a bulk holder having a lateral outlet, and a suction flue communicating with an outlet, of a shaft mounted for rotation, an annular series of blades rotatable with the shaft and mounted to successively wipe across the outlet of the the shaft to compensate for wear, and a 100 removable wear plate adjacent the outlet for engagement with the blades, said late having an opening registering with t e outlet.

4. The comblnation with a hopper having an outlet in one side thereof, of a suction flue upon one side of the hopper in communication with the outlet, sald flue having a forwardly extending portion provided with a bottom air inlet and a downwardly extending portion provided with an air outlet, a fan casing in communication with the air outlet, and means rotatable within the hopper for expelling bulk material through the outlet and into the flue.

5. The combination with a hopper having an outlet in one side thereof, of a suction flue upon one side of the ho er in communication with the outlet, sai flue having a forwardly extending portion provided with a bottom air inlet and a downwardly extending portion provided with an air outlet, a fan casing in communication with the air outlet, means rotatable within the hopper for expellin bulk material through the outlet and into t e flue, said means including spaced radial strips having laterally extending twisted end portions forming deflecting blades, each of said blades having its free end edge radially disposed, and the advancing face of each blade being curved i flue upon one side of the hopper in communication with the outlet, said flue having a forwardly extending portion provided with a bottom air inlet and a downwardly extending portion provided with an air out- 10 let, a fan casing in communication with the air outlet, means rotatable within the hopper for expelling bulk material throu h the outlet and into the flue, and a regu ating valve adj ustably mounted within the flue for controllin the flow of material from the outlet to the hop er.

In testimony t at I claim the fore oing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

ORACE P. HOBBS. 

